It is generally accepted that extremity-to-face contact is a primary means of transmitting upper respiratory infection diseases. For example, one or more viruses can be collected on the hand when touching contaminated surfaces such as doorknobs, shopping carts, pens, other hands, etc. Generally speaking, viruses can survive from a few hours to as long as four days or more on nonporous surfaces, and for at least two hours on human skin. Over the course of a day, an individual may contact several contaminated surfaces and may subsequently touch his or her face up to 100 times or more. Such extremity-to-face contact increases the likelihood that a virus will ultimately reach the mucus membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, etc., resulting in a serious disease or other illness being contracted by the individual.
Unfortunately, attempts to prevent spreading of respiratory diseases and other viruses have not been altogether satisfactory. For example, in the case of human beings, vaccines are commonly used to inhibit contracting and spreading of various influenza viruses. Regrettably, because these types of vaccines only account for a limited number of existing strains of the influenza virus, they are not entirely effective. Other attempts to control spreading of communicable diseases include the use of protective devices such as masks and eye goggles. However, such devices can be cumbersome and have not been completely well-received even by individuals in high-risk work environments such as hospitals and schools.
Additionally, trichotillomania is a condition that affects up to approximately 2% of the human population. Trichotillomania is characterized by the habitual pulling out of one's eyebrows, eyelashes, or hair. Two current methods of treatment are behavioral therapy and the use of medication. Behavioral therapy is often considered to be more preferred than medications because of the lack of potential side effects or contraindications. Current behavioral therapy tools can rely on a patient to count and record the number of occurrences of the undesirable behavior, which can result in inaccuracies. Other devices that are not completely effective may only passively remind the patient not to engage in the particular behavior. In addition, the efficacy of certain medications can decrease over a relatively short, continuous period of time.